Coolant Question (Will I cook my sho?)

[MelectroK]

I just refilled my coolant. I was able to get just over 2 gallons into the system. (Which is aprox. what came out). When I run the car the heater blows hot, the temp gauge rides right about in the middle, and the upper radiator hose gets hot and full of pressure and water.

When it cools back down over night, the upper radiator hose can be squeezed and is full of air. I can hear a slight bit of water right at the bend just past the thermostate but the rest is empty. I know there shouldnt be pressure but Im asking about the air. Also when cooling the system didnt suck any coolant back in from the overflow bottle. ( If it did its hardly a noticable amount)

When I filled it I disconnected the hose at the thermostate and filled it till it came out. I also did the same at the upper heater core hose. Thermostat and radiator cap are ~1 year old. Once when it was hot I used a rag and loosed the radiator cap to see if I can get any air out that way. All that came out was coolant so I closed it.

Any suggestions?

 

[SHOtimer]

It is the rad caps, job to keep the system pressurized and full of coolant - not air. I would replace it.

Doug

 

[Yamaha V6]

Keep "burping" the system - with the cap off & cold, squeeze the upper hose some, it'll help flow some of the coolant in there. Keep adding until you can't anymore without overflowing at the cap. Make sure the bottom of the overflow tank isn't filled with complete crud (blow air through the rubber hose into the tank / empty the tank & visually inspect). This is all assuming you have a new radiator cap, which is a good idea to replace with the coolant. Ford's RS-80 cap is under $10.

 

[MelectroK]

The cap is only 1 year old, with the thermostat. I did the burping thing but all it does is almost overflow the radiator.

 

[shomesomesho]

Read the section on "Filling the cooling system" here.

 

[MelectroK]

Thanks thats slightly diffrent then I tried Ill try that

 

[MelectroK]

Read the section on "Filling the cooling system" here.

The line he is talking about to let the air out. Is this the big one underneath the bottom center of the throttle body or is it the 3/8ish one on firewall side of the throttle body?

 

[shomesomesho]

The 3/8ish one that points straight up.

The big fat one under the throttle body is a crank ventilation hose.

 

[MelectroK]

Thank you. I think I can handle this one now

 

[SHOZ123]

If your cooling system is secure and the cap is good a couple of high rpm shifts and regular driving will purge all the air. It is only when the cooling system is leaking will air in the coolant be a problem.

 

[MelectroK]

I can do that just didnt want to if I had air in the heads.

 

[SHOZ123]

If you want to ensure that you have coolant in the heads when filling the cooling system you should disconnect one of the TB coolant hoses. Or fill the system from the TB coolant hoses.

 

[SonicRiot]

Changing the T-Stat and Radiator cap are reccomended services whenever the coolant is flushed, which in most applications is 2 years. The caps aren't like the new ones and do not tend to last more than a couple of years holding maximum pressure.

If you're nuts about your car, this can be done every year.

BTW, always check the cap before installing it. I remember buying a new cap from AutoZone and testing it. It wouldn't hold more than 10 psi when it was brand new. That's not sufficient.